Container opening device



March 1954. A. E. ALMGREN ET AL 2,673, 20

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE Filed June 28, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS AUGUSTE. ALA/IGEE/V I -J'0/-/N F. JAKOB m ZW A. E. ALMGREN ET AL CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE March 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1949 4 M Q Q \N w INVENTORS AUGUST E. ALMGEEA/ BY JOHN P IA/(05 ,M/ih LMA ATToQ/V Y5 March 23, 1954 ALMGREN ETAL 2,673,020

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE Filed June 28, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 R's 141/ 057 5. ALMGPE/V JOHN E JAA os aw a.

March 23, 1954 A. E. ALMGREN ET AL CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 28, 1949 INVENTORS A 0 057 E. ALMGEEN JOHN R JAKOB 1M A M March 23, 1954 I Filed June 28, 1949 A. E. ALMGREN ET AL 2,673,020

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN 1 I 67 L J 71 a; 7x

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a G I v INVENTORS 5 81 AUGUST 5. AL MGkf/V re/we J2me, 1 r KM BY OLA x9 Patented Mar; 23, 1954 CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE August E. Almgren, Hillside, and John P. Jakob,

Roselle, N. .I., assignors to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 28, 1949, Serial No 101,870

The present invention relates to a container filling or treating machine and has particular reference to devices for uncovering dispensing openings in closed emptycontainers preparatory totfilling or otherwise treating the container.

An object (of the invention is the provision in a container filling or treating machine of devices forlifting a closure element attached to fibre 'milk, containers or the like wherein the closure element may Fbe gripped and pried loose for bringing the gripped member into an open position.

.Another object is the provision of :such opening :devices wherein suction instrumentalities may be :used :in conjunction with members .utilized to grip the outer edges .of a closure element so asto facilitate swinging of the gripped member in an-open position.

Anotherobjec't .is the provision ofsuch opening devices which'are particularly adapted to release and lift closure members. which are crimped or partially crimped around a projecting xledge or edge of a .container and :uponv .opening of the closure member to free the'member for advancement of the container-for .subsequenttreatment.

gstantially along the lines 3-3,, 4-4 in Fig. '1,

with-a container shown in place in the apparatus, and with portions of the container and parts of the apparatus broken away; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary sec.- tional views taken substantially along the lines 55, 6--6 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away and with the upper portion of a container in place.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate an opening device for uncovering or unsealing the dispensing opening of a fibre container for liquids such as the container disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979 issued July '6, 1937 to John M. Hothersall on Container. Such a container comprises a fibre tubular body A (Fig. 3) of rectangu- 8-;Claims. (oi. 226-129) lar shape .and "closed with top and bottom fibre members B and 'C (see also Fig. 5). The top member B, in one corner thereof, is formed with a circular filling and dispensing opening which is sealed with a friction plug closure element D (Fig. 5). This closure element is hingedly attached to the top member B.

In order to protect the top member B and :its friction plug closure member D against injury or contaminationduring shipment andstorage of the container, the entire top end of the container may be covered with an overcap E which is customarily creased and divided into two triangular shaped halves. "Substantially one half "of this overcap E (the triangular half disposed opposite the friction plug closure element D) is permanently secured by adhesive to the top member B. The opposite triangular half (marked F), hingedly connected by a crease line to the secured half, covers the portion of the top member containing the friction plug closure element and is free from the top member but is held in place by marginal edge portions G which extend over and are crimped under an overhanging or projecting edge or ledge H-of the top member B.

In the manufacture of such a container, its interior is sterilized and the friction plug closure element D temporarily closed and sealed and the free portion F of the :overcap E laid down and its marginal edge portion G temporarily crimped in place under the ledge H before the container is shipped to the dairy or filling plant for filling. At the filling plant the free portion F of the overcap E and the friction plug closure element D must be hinged open to effect the filling of the container through its filling and dispensingopening. In the instant case both the overcap and the closure element are lifted simultaneously into unsealed position. It is this opening or unsealing operation that is effected by the opening device of the instant invention.

The openin device preferably is a part of a more elaborate machine for handling the eontainers such as the machine disclosed in United States Patent 2,357,799 issued September 12, 1944 to A. E. Almgren on Container Handling Machine or the machine disclosed in United States Patent 2,284,660 issued June 2, 1942 to John M. Hothersall on Container Treating Machine.

in the devices shown in the instant drawings, the containers A disposed in an upright position as best shown in Fig. 3 are ived o any suitable source and are propelled along a straight line runway i l in a direction shown by the arrows (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) in an intermittent or step-bystep manner by a reciprocating feeding device having container propelling prongs I2 (Fig. 3) such as shown and fully described in the above mentioned Almgren Patent 2,357,799. The lower end of the container A is supported on a halfround support rail l4 and is guided by a pair of spaced and parallel guide rails l5, all of which are secured to the top of a horizontal frame |6 which may constitute a portion of the main frame of the more elaborate machine.

The upper end of the container is guided between a pair of spaced and parallel guide rails l1, l8 which are disposed above the rails I5. These upper guide rails ll, l8 are secured to an upper inverted U-shaped portion IQ of a bracket bolted to the frame It adjacent the runway l. The upper portion ill of the bracket 20 overhangs the runway.

Durin a forward or container advancing stroke of the feedin prongs l2, a container A is advanced along the runway H one step and is brought to rest at an opening station K (Fig. 1). At this staticn the container is properly located in a predetermined position by a forward stop finger 23 (Figs. 1, 2, 4- and 5) Which engages against the front or forward side wall of the container and by a rear stop finger 24 which engages over the rear top edge of the container.

The rear stop finger 24 i freely disposed above the path of travel of the container advancing in the runway H and hangs downwardly at an angle with its forward end in the path of travel of the container so that the advancing container engages and lifts the stop finger as the container passes under it. The forward end of the finger is formed with a notch 25 for engaging and locating the rear top edge of the container. Intermediate its ends, the stop finger 24 is freely mounted on a pivot pin 2'! carried in a support block 28 adjustably secured by a locking screw 29 to an overhanging sup ort bracket 3| bolted to the upper guide rail l8. By loosening the locking screw 29, the block 28 may be shifted in a groove 32 in the bottom of the bracket 3| to position the forward notched end of the stop finger 24 to properly locat the containers advanced into the station K. The block is locked in an adjusted position until another adjustment becomes necessary. The outer end of the stop finger 24 is formed with a hook lug 34 which engages against the back of the support block 28 to limit the downward travel of the stop finger when the container moves away from the finger after an opening operation as will be explained hereinafter.

The forward stop finger 23 which locates the container relative to its front or leadin side, extends into the path of travel of the containers at an angle thereto (see Figs. 2 and 4) and is adjustably carried in a groove 36 formed in a support bar 3'! fixed in a rotatable plate 38 in an eccentric position relative to the center of the plate. A. locking screw 39 holds the stop finger 23 in adjusted position on the support bar 31. The plate 38 is formed on one end of a sleeve 42 (Fig. 1) which is journaled in a bearing block 43 supported on the frame l6. This plate is periodically rotated or rocked to shift the stop finger 23 into and out of container locating position.

Rotation of the plate 38 is effected preferably by a reciprocable rack bar 45 (Fig. 4) which meshes with gear teeth 46 formed on the eriphery of the plate 33 for slightly more than one quarter of its periphery. The rack bar reciprocates in a slide bearing 41 formed on top of the bearing 43 and overhanging the plate. Reciprocation of the rack bar may be effected in any suitable manner, a by a link 48 (Fig. 5).

Opening of the container A is effected by an opening head 5| (Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6) which is located at the station K and immediately above the path of travel of the containers advanced into the station. This openin head 5| is formed on the free end of a long neck 52 which projects from the plate 38 in an eccentric position relative to the center of the plate. The center of the plate 38 is located in axial alignment with the hinge crease in the overcap E of a container A when the container is properly located at the station K (see Figs. 1 and 4). Hence when the plate 38 is rocked through an angle of by the rack bar 45, the opening head 5| is similarly rocked relative to the top of a container at the station K.

The opening head 5| carries a resilient suction or vacuum cup 54 which is secured in place by a fiat head screw 55 (Fig. 5) threaded into the head 5| The screw 55 is formed with an axially disposed channel 56 which communicates with a bore 51 formed in the head 5| and neck 52. The bore extends the full length of the neck and passes through the plate 38 and into the sleeve 42 for communication with a suitable source of vacuum, such as the pump and the accompanying slide valve disclosed and fully explained in the above mentioned Hothersall Patent 2,284,660.

Adjacent the vacuum cup 54, the opening head 5|, carries a pair of spaced lifter fingers 5| which are disposed at right angles to each other as best shown in Fig. 1. These fingers are mounted intermediate their ends on pivot pins 62 (Fig. 6) carried in lugs 63 formed on the opening head 5|. One end of each of the lifter fingers 6| as viewed in Fig. 6, extends below the vacuum cup 54 and is formed with a hook 65 having a tapered nose for engagement under the marginal edge portion G of the free section F of the overcap E. The opposite end of each of the fingers 6| curves inwardly over the opening head 5| and is engaged by a spring barrel 66 disposed within a blind bore 6'! formed in the head. There is one of these spring barrels for each finger. Compression springs 68 disposed within the barrels force the latter outwardly against the fingers and thus maintain the hook ends of the finger under pressure in a direction toward the opening head.

The hook ends 65 of the fingers 6| are maintained in a predetermined position relative to the head 5| by way of an adjustable stop member disposed in a recess 1'2 in the finger and mounted on a pivot pin 13 secured in the finger. The outer end of the member is rounded and is engaged in one of two sockets M formed in a leaf spring 15 secured to the outer face of the finger. The inner end of the member 7| isalso rounded and engages against one of two stepped faces 16, T! of the opening head 5|. By shifting the member 1| on its pivot pin 13, it may be made to engage against either the face is as shown in Fig. 6 or against the lower face T1. In this manner the fingers 5| may be adjusted to accommodate two kinds of containers in which the amount of overhang of the top member ledge His different.

s a container A moves or advances into the opening station K, the rotatable plate 38 and the stop finger 23 and opening head 5! carried thereon are in the position shown in Fig. 5 (with the element D and overcap half F still is closed position) the finger and the head b in disposed above the path of travel so that the advancing container can readily move into the station without interference. Only the rear stop finger 24 has been engaged and raised by the entering container to permit the rear edge of the container to enter the locating notch '29 in the finger.

When the container A comes to rest at th station K, the plate 38 is rotated through an angle of 90 in a clockwise direction, as viewed inFig. 5, and this .eflfects three operations which take place simultaneously. Firstly, the front stop finger 23 is swung into a position in front of the container A where it engage the front wall of the container as best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and, pushes the container backwardly so that its rear top edge is fully seated in the locating notch 26 of the rear stop finger .24. This action precisely locates the container in a predetermined position at the station K.

Secondly, the rotation of the plate 38 swings the lifter fingers 6| from the po ition shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6. During this swinging action the tapered noses of the fingers snap past the crimped edges G of the temporarily sealed overcap E and thus bring the finger hooks 65 into engagement with the edges G as shown in Fig. 6. In this position, the two fingers straddle the corner of the container adjacent its filling opening, there being one finger in engagement with each edge G of the free or unsecured triangular portion F of the overcap as best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. A recess 8i (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) in the top guide rail l8 provides clearance for the adjacent lifter finger 5i.

Thirdly, this rotation of the plate 38 rotates the vacuum cup 54 into engagement with the top outer face of the free triangular portion F of the overcap E as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. As soon as the vacuum cup is fully seated against the overcap, a vacuum is drawn on the cup to secure the cup to the engaged portion of the overcap. The plate 38 is then rotated through a return rotation of 90 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. .5) and thus returns or swings the front stop finger 23, the lifter fingers SI, and the vacuum cup 54, back into their original position as shown in Fig. .5.

During this return rotation of the. plate 38, the front stop finger 2.3 is swung upwardly out of the path of travel of the container to free the container for further advancement. Simultaneously with this action the lifting fingers .61 with their hooks 65 frictionally engaged under the crimped edges G of the overcap E pry the edges G loose from the top member ledge H of the container and raise or lift these edges while the vacuum cup 54 hinges the freetriangular portion F vof the overcap into a raised or open position as shown in Fig. ,5. During this overs edges Gand the lifting of the overcap portionF.

' he. overcap p rtion F is hing o en, the cl u e element .13! became i en age om he ed e G o the overcapand as umes an open position as shown in Fig. ,5. When this .overcap portion F is fully open as shown in Fig. .5, the vacuum in the cup 54 is broken and the cup is thereupon released from the overcap. The overcap is also released from the lifter fingers 6|. For this latter purpose, the upper overhanging portion of each of the fingers is formed with an elongated button (Figs. 1, 4,- 5 and 6) whifih upon the return rotation of the plate '38, engages against a stationary tapered cam 86 and thereby rocks the hook ends of the fingers outwardly away from the overcap portion F and holds them in this position free of the overcap. This entire-, ly releases the raised free portion F of the over! cap. The cam 86 is adjustably secured by .a. locking screw 81 to the inverted U-shaped support 19.

With the raised free triangular portion '1 of the overcap E and the opened closure element D released from their opening devices, the con tainer is immediately advanced through its next and succeeding steps toward the filling or other treating stations in the machine. During these steps of advancement the overcap portion F and the closure element D are maintained in their raised positions by a stationary guide rail 88 which is secured to the upper container guide rail I8'and which is engaged by the overcap portion F and the closure element D as the container is advanced. This completes the .cycle of operation of opening the container for filling or other treatment.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advanta es will be understood from the fore oing description, and it will be apparent that various chan es may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim;

1. In a machine for treating sealed'containers having a filling openin closed by a cover and an attached overcap having a free portion superimposedover the cover and over said opening, the combination of .a support for a container, propelling means for advancing said container in a predetermined path along said support, a rotatable plate disposed adjacent said support and path, a stop finger carried on said plate and movable into and out of said path of the container, an opening head extended from said plate and located adjacent said support, a lifter finger carried on said head, and actuating means for rotating said plate in one direction for moving said stop finger into said path and into engagement with said container for locating it in awedetermined position on said support and tor-simultaneously moving said lifter finger into engagement with an edge of the free portion of the overcap on the located container, said actuating means also rotating said plate in an opposite direction for moving said lifter finger away from said container for raising the engaged portion of said overcap and said cover to uncover the underlying portion of said container and for simultaneously moving said stop finger out of the path of said container.

2. In a machine for treating sealed containers having a filling opening and an attached overcap having a tree portion superimposed over said ope ng. the com ation a support for a con a ne p ope l n m ans for advancing said container in a predetermined path along said support, a rotatable plate disposed adjacent said support and path, a rear stop finger disposed in said path of the container and engageable with the trailing side of said container, a front stop finger carried on said plate and movable thereby into and out of said path, an opening head extended from said plate and located adjacent said support, a lifter finger carried on said head, and actuating means for rotating said plate in one direction for moving said front stop finger first into said path and against the leading side of said container, continued movement pushing the container against said rear stop finger to locate said container in a predetermined position on said support, said rotating plate simultaneously moving said lifter finger into engagement with an edge of the free portion of the overcap on the located container, said actuating means also being operable for rotating said plate in an opposite direction to move said lifter finger away from said container for raising the engaged portion of said overcap to uncover the underlying portion of said container, said rotating plate in said reversed movement simultaneously removing said front stop finger from the path of said container.

3. In a machine for treating sealed containers having a substantially rectangular top with a filling opening and friction plug closure element in one corner thereof and an attached overcap having a free portion superimposed over said closure element, the combination of a pair of spaced and angularly disposed lifter fingers arranged for straddling the corner adjacent said closure element of a container positioned for treatment, said fingers having hooked portions for engaging and holding two adjacent edges of the free portion of the overcap on said container, and means for moving said fingers simultaneously toward said container for engaging said edges of said overcap and for moving said fingers simultaneously in a reverse direction for lifting said free portion of said overcap and said closure element simultaneously to uncover the underlying filling opening in said container.

4. Ina machine for treating sealed containers having a filling opening and an attached overcap having a free portion superimposed over said opening, the combination of a support for a container, propelling means for advancing said container in a predetermined path along said support, a rotatable plate disposed adjacent said support and path, a rear stop finger disposed in said path of the container and engageable with the trailing side of said container, a front stop finger carried on said plate and movable thereby into and out of said path, an opening head extended from said plate and located adjacent said support, a lifter finger carried on said head, actuating means for rotating said plate in one direction for moving said front stop finger first into said path and against the leading side of said container, continued movement pushing the container against said rear stop finger to locate said container in a predetermined position on said support, said rotating plate simultaneously moving said lifter finger into engagement with an edge of the free portion of the overcap on the located container, said actuating means also being operable for rotating said plate in an opposite direction to move said lifter finger away from said container for raising the engaged portion of said overcap to uncover the underlying portion of said container, retaining means adja- 8. cent the path of the top of said container for engaging said container top and thus restraining the container from upward movement while said overcap is raised, said rotating plate in said reversed movement simultaneously removing said front stop finger from the path of said container and means disposed adjacent said path of the container and engageable by the raised overcap for retaining the overcap in its raised position.

5. In a machine for treating containers each having a closure for a container filling opening and terminating in an edge adjacent a projecting container ledge and also having an overcap of flexible material extending over said closure and loosely crimped at its marginal edge over said projecting container ledge, the combination of an opening head movable toward and away from a container positioned thereadjacent, a vacuum cup carried on said head and engageable with said overcap, a yieldable lifter finger carried on said head alongside of said vacuum cup and engageable with the loosely crimped marginal edge of said overcap on said container to yieldably press said edge of the flexible overcap inwardly, means for moving said head toward said container for engaging said vacuum cup and said finger with said overcap and for moving said head and its vacuum cup and finger away from said container for first removing said yieldably pressed marginal edge of the overcap from the container ledge and then for engaging said inwardly pressed flexible edge of the overcap against'a closely adjacent edge of said closure whereby said overcap and said closure are moved together to uncover said opening, and means for releasing said vacuum cup and lifter finger from said overcap when the latter is raised.

6. In a machine for treating containers each having a closure for a container filling opening and terminating in an edge adjacent a projecting container ledge and also having an overcap of flexible material with a free portion extending over said closure and loosely crimped at its marginal edge over said projecting container ledge, the combination of an opening head, a vacuum cup carried on said head and engageable with the free portion of said overcap, a lifter finger carried on said head adjacent said vacuum cup and engageable with the loosely crimped marginal edge of the free portion of said overcap to engage and press said flexible edge inwardly, and means for effecting relative movement between said head and said positioned container for causing said vacuum cup and said finger to release said loosely crimped marginal edge of the overcap from the container ledge and, through the pressure applied inwardly by said lifter finger against said flexible marginal edge of the overcap, to engage said marginal edge with said edge of the closure whereby the overcap and the closure are moved together to uncover said opening.

'7. In a machine for treating containers each having a closure for a container filling opening and terminating in an edge adjacent a projecting container ledge and also having an overcap of flexible material with a free portion extending over said closure and loosely crimped at its marginal edge over said projecting container ledge, the combination of a runway for supporting and guiding a container along a predetermined path of travel, advancing means engageable with said container and intermittently advancing the container along said runway, locat ing means adjacent said runway and engageable 9 with a container at rest in said runway for locating the container in a predetermined position, a vacuum cup rotatably mounted adjacent said runway and the path of said overcap for engagement with the free portion of the overcap on a said located container, a yieldable lifter finger rotatably mounted adjacent said vacuum cup for engagement with the loosely crimped marginal edge of the free portion of said overcap on said located container to yieldably press said edge of the flexible overcap inwardly, and actuating means for rotating said vacuum cup and said lifter finger simultaneously into engagement with said free portion of the overcap and for rotating said vacuum cup and said lifter finger simultaneously in a reverse direction for removing said yieldably pressed marginal edge from the container ledge and then for engaging said inwardly pressed flexible edge of the overcap against a closely adjacent edge of the closure whereby said overcap and said closure are moved together to uncover said opening.

8. In a machine for treating sealed containers having a filling opening and an attached overcap having a free portion superimposed over said opening, the combination of an opening head movable'toward and away from a container positioned thereadjacent, a lifter finger yieldably mounted on said head and engageable with an edge of the free portion of the overcap on said container, a plurality of stepped surfaces on said head adjacent said lifter finger, an adjustable stop member movably mounted on said lifter finger, the inner end of said member engaging one of said stepped surfaces on the head in a predetermined position for precise engagement with the edge of said overcap, means for retaining said inner end of the stop member in alignment with a selected stepped surface, the selection of said surface being dependent upon the size of said container, and means for moving said head' toward said container for engaging said finger with said overcap and for moving said head and its finger away from said container for raising the free portion of said overcap to uncover the underlying portion of said container.

AUGUST E. ALMGREN. JOHN P. JAKOB.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,605,560 Plass Nov. 2, 1926 1,753,548 Butler Apr. 8, 1930 1,922,772 Lathrop Aug. 15, 1933 2,284,660 Hothersall et a1. June 2, 1942 2,386,152 Wahl Oct. 2, 1945 2,420,642 Almgren May 20, 1947 

